Family
by ROSSELLA1
Summary: When Aaron is attacked, Haley has to make a decision. Spoilers for Nameless, Faceless.


Family

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. Any quotes will be in italics. Oh, and I don't own that song either.

"I wanna hold'em like they do in Texas Plays…" Haley Brooks-Hotchner sang along with her MP3 player, and went to fold another pair of pants, putting them on the bed. All of a sudden she let out a shriek as the door burst open, and a navy blue blur entered. She relaxed somewhat as she recognized the intruder as Jennifer Jareau.

"_It's okay, it's okay!" _JJ assured her and Morgan entered as well, moving to check out the room.

"_What are you doing here?"_ She asked, still breathing heavily.

"_It's okay, everything's okay." _JJ repeated.

_ "We got her." _Morgan said into his mouth piece.

"_What's going on?" _Haley repeated impatiently.

"_Is there anyone else in the house?" _JJ asked. Why weren't they answering her questions?

"_No, there's no one here." _She felt a surge of relief as David Rossi entered the room. He and Aaron had been friends for years. Maybe he'd explain everything.

_ "Haley," _Morgan asked, _"Where's Jack?" _His normally genial face fraught with worry.

"_He's at a friend's house for a playdate." _She answered, confused.

"_We need to get him back here." _Rossi said in a calm, reassuring tone. _"We'll explain everything_."

It was then that she thought of something. "_Where's Aaron?" _If something was going on he would have come there himself, not just send his team.

"_He's in the hospital." _ Morgan answered and the other two gave her sympathetic looks.

"_What?" _ She asked stunned

"_Haley, please." _ He cut her off abruptly, _"Call for Jack. Tell him I'm on my way to pick him up. I promise you we'll explain. I'll go for him right now. Text me the address." _

As he left the other two turned back to her and JJ reached out to touch her shoulder, but Haley wasn't going to have any of that. _ "Tell me what happened to Aaron". _ She said in a firm tone. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, did as Morgan had asked and then returned her full attention to JJ and Dave. "Go on. Tell me what happened to my husband!" Haley demanded. First they break into her house, nearly scare her half to death, tell her Aaron's in the hospital, and then not say anything? Didn't they understand? She wanted answers!

The two agents glanced at each other and then Dave stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You might want to sit down, Haley."

"No," She replied, shaking her head and taking a step back. "I want you to tell me what's going on, now!"

He pressed his lips together and glanced at JJ as if asking for help but she just looked back at him. "Aaron… was attacked. In his own apartment."

"What?" Haley sank down on the bed. This couldn't be real… could it? A quick glance between JJ and Dave's faces showed that they were dead serious. "H-How?" Coming over to sit down next to her, Dave filled her in on everything, but she barely heard what he was saying. In the background JJ's cell phone rang and a moment later she said that Jack was okay and that Morgan and he would be there soon. She went on to explain that Haley and Jack would have to go into protective custody and helped Haley pack. All Haley could keep thinking was 'How could this be happening?' Aaron was a good person! He went out day after day fighting the things nightmares were made of just to keep other people safe, and now finally one of those monsters had won. It just wasn't fair.

Filing for divorce had been one of the hardest things that Haley had ever done. In her heart she knew that Aaron was doing the right thing by going out into the field. She'd married him knowing that he'd be away a lot and when it had just been them it had been easier to deal with. But then Jack was born, the stress of being a single-parent clouded her reason, and that one day in a blind rage she had left. Countless times she had looked back with a pang of guilt. Aaron had always tried to be the model father when he was around, called every night to check up on them when he was away. So many times he had walked through the door, haunted by something that had happened on the case, took one look at her and put on a mask for her benefit. Couldn't she have given him a little support? Often she'd debated whether to go back to him and try to work things out but her stupid pride had always held her back. 'Well it was too late now,' She thought bitterly, 'Jack and I will have to go away and he'll be all alone'.

She had to put on a brave face as Jack came in, excited and obviously not knowing that he wouldn't be able to see his Daddy for God only knew how long. Morgan and Rossi took the bags for them while JJ bundled her and Jack into the SUV as quickly as possible, limiting their time outside to only seconds.

"I know this is hard," the media liaison said. "Just know that we will do everything in our power to get this guy and bring you both home." Haley managed a smile and then turned away, blinking away tears.

'God help me!', Haley thought, turning to look at the house she and Aaron had lived in together for years, 'How long will it be until we get to come back here. Moments later the SUV pulled away from the curb and took her and Jack to the hospital where they were hurried in through the doors.

"This way." Dave said, guiding her down the hall to Aaron's room. She entered the room to hear Aaron and Emily talking about the attack and Haley had to close her eyes to keep from crying at the sight of him. All she could think about was how much she still loved him and how could anyone hate him enough to do something like this? Emily patted her on shoulder, comfortingly, on the way out.

"_How do you feel?" _Haley asked, not knowing what else to say.

"_I'm going to be okay?" _He paused uncertainly_, "Did they explain to you what's happening?" _

She nodded _ "And they said the Marshall Service is taking us straight from here and putting us into protective custody." _

"_Haley, I'm sorry" _ She snorted, then regretted it. He was the one in the hospital bed. Even if he had chosen this job, he certainly had never wanted to endanger them.

"_Do you know where they're going to take us?" _Haley said, trying to be kinder.

"_No and that's the point."_ Aaron said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, "_I can't know where you're going. If you have any contact with anyone then he could track you." _

"_Jack has school, he has friends, I have a job now."_ She said angry and at the same time searching for a reason to stay with him.

"_I know." _He paused again. _ "And I'm sorry. We will catch him," _He reassured her_, "and you'll come back, and I promise that I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you."_

She took a deep breath. All she had to do was think about what his chest must look like now to remember that this wasn't his fault. He had to know this and yet he was still apologizing. _"Are you sure that we are in danger?"_ Haley remembered now why she had married him and wondered why she had ever left.

_ "Yes." _

"_And what about you? Are you going to be safe?"_

"_He wants to see me suffer. Knowing that my son is out there and that I can't see him is better than killing me." _

Her eyes filled with tears at these words and how he made sure to say them in a neutral tone to avoid causing her more pain. "That's it!" She said coming over to sit on the side of his bed. "We're not going!"

Aaron's eyes widened. "Haley, if he-"

"I know! I know!" She replied closing her eyes and holding up her hand. "But I can't leave you to deal with this alone!"

"But-"

"No! " She exclaimed, then taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, continued in a softer tone. "I still love you Aaron, and we are your family! We belong where you are. We'll move back in together into our house, install extra security systems, get a dog, do everything we can!" She went on and hushed him when he tried to interrupt her. "Besides, no one can protect us as good as you can." She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Haley," He said, it almost made her cry to see him try to convince her to go when he clearly wanted her to stay. "I'll have to be gone a lot still. I'll still need to work."

"I know!" She replied. "They told me you would be watched closely. Well they'll just have to watch us too."She mustered up a half-hearted smile, "Anyway, you'll need someone to take care of you and if we go away and leave you, he wins right?"

He stared at her for a moment, clearly thinking the matter over. Finally, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Right."

Haley let out a relieved laugh and kissed him on the top of his head. "I'll go tell Jack, we're staying." It would be dangerous, she knew, but they were family and families were supposed to stick together.

End Note: It's always bothered me that Haley left. I mean I know she and Jack were in danger and all but so was Hotch and doing this was just giving in to Foyet's whims and if I had a loved one who was threatened like this I'd stick by him/her even if I was being threatened too. Family should be there for each other, even when being threatened by a sociopathic jerkface.


End file.
